


Flightless Bird, American Mouth

by waywardbird



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Choice, Cute, Fluff, Free Will, Freedom, M/M, Metaphors, Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-30
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-22 22:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/615233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardbird/pseuds/waywardbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"That's the thing with humans. You’re so much freer than you realize."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flightless Bird, American Mouth

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little one-shot I came up with tonight. Kinda goes with the song Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron & Wine, if anyone's interested. Enjoy! :)

Dean woke up late in the afternoon, after being pretty smashed the night before. The sun was doing that thing where it was somehow managing to aim its rays directly at his face from 93 million miles away, his clothes were rumpled, and his mouth was dry. He managed to drag himself up out of bed with a groan, and realized that Sam must’ve gone to the library or something. After a hot shower and a cup of coffee, he was feeling at least halfway human. 

And speaking of humans, he could hear a voice speaking softly outside the hotel room door. The conversation was one-sided, so it wasn’t some random passerby, and the tone sounded cheery, which definitely ruled out demons, so Dean figured it was safe to open the door just a crack. And when he peered out, what he saw made even his heart melt a little. 

Castiel was standing in the little patch of grass outside the hotel room corridor, and perched on his finger was a sparrow. Dean could see the happiness in his face from there, and his normally rough voice was gentle as he spoke softly to the little bird. 

Dean quietly closed the door behind him, and crept toward Cas. As he grew close, the creature ruffled its feathers a bit, but still remained sitting on the former angel’s finger contentedly. Cas looked up at him and beamed. It was something he did rarely, trading in his usual expression of guarded indifference, but whenever he did, it made Dean’s chest ache with something he couldn’t quite name.

“Hello, Dean.”

“How are you even doing that?” he asked, not able to keep at least a little bit of awe from invading his tone.

“I always was good with animals, even when I was an angel. Most living creatures shy away from celestial beings, but they always seemed to be okay with me.” he said, tilting his head as he set his gaze back on the sparrow.

“Probably ‘coz you’re as innocent as they are.” Dean chuckled quietly. 

They settled into an easy silence, filled by the chatter of the other birds around them, and the cars from the highway on the other side of the motel, until Cas broke it with

“I always have liked birds. Especially lately, though. I feel as though I connect with them in ways that I lack with other species.”

Dean eyed his long fingers as they stroked the little sparrow gently, and felt his heart drop as he made a connection.

“…Is it because of the wings?”

“Hm?” Cas asked absentmindedly.

“They have wings. You had wings, before you fell. Do you like them because they…y’know, remind you? Because you miss your wings?”  
Dean could hear his voice crack with guilt, but he wasn’t really sure he cared. Out of the blue, he felt terrible. He felt stupid and selfish and guilty, because of course Cas fucking missed his wings. Of course he missed being an angel. Angels were powerful and flawless and in control, and he had given that up to become a human. A human, weak, and messy, and a slave to emotion and physical needs. He had given it all up for Dean, and that fact alone ate him alive sometimes. Of course he fucking missed it, Dean thought sullenly.

“No, actually. That’s not it at all.” Cas said, snapping the hunter out of his thoughts.

“It’s because birds are free,” he continued. “They have certain loyalties, like their nest or their flock, but they can still come and go as they please. They can do whatever they like. No one tells them how or where to fly. They don’t live by a rule book or a code. They’re free.”

“Yeah?” 

“Yes, Dean. Free. Like you made me.” he stepped closer, his face alight with a tiny smile. 

He didn’t see that one coming.

“What do you mean? I didn’t make you free. I made you human. Big difference, right there. ” Dean replied with a bitter laugh.

“That’s the thing with humans. You’re so much freer than you realize. You have to sleep and you have to eat, as even birds do. But apart from that, your lives know no limits. You don’t like a job, you can quit. You don’t like a town, you can leave. You don’t like a person, you stop speaking to them. Sure, there are consequences, but aren’t there for everything? There are consequences for these things, but they’re still possible. You’re still free to do them. And that is something that angels, for all their power and control, will never have. You didn’t just make me human, Dean. You made me free. And for that, I will never be able to thank you enough.”

A breeze blew through the courtyard, ruffling the bird’s feathers. It shifted on the crook of Cas’ finger, then spread its wings and sprung into the air, soaring off into the trees.

“You see it? The choice. The freedom. The will to come and go as it pleases. It can stay, or it can leave, purely by its own choice. And now I can too.” Cas marveled to himself, staring off into the branches happily.

Suddenly he snapped out of his thoughts and turned back with a small smile to look at Dean, who was now, despite his best efforts not to, wearing a vaguely alarmed expression.

“I can still read some of your thoughts, Dean. Do not worry. Free to leave or not, I feel it is with you that I will always find myself staying.”

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews would be lovely and thanks for reading xoxo


End file.
